General Insurance Article - ABI's DG pledges personal commitment for HeForShe campaign

 Other speakers at the Lloyd's of London launch event include Inga Beale, CEO, Lloyd’s; Sian Fisher, CEO, Chartered Insurance Institute; Laura Haynes, Board Director, UN Committee UK; Dominic Christian, Executive Chairman, Aon Benfield; and IIL president; Russell Higginbotham, Head of Life & Health Insurance Products, Swiss Re and IIL President Elect.

 Huw Evans said: “We have a huge amount to do to ensure we attract women to our industry and keep them here. Improving our sector’s diversity and inclusion is vital to our future success, not a ‘nice to have’. 

 “I'm a big supporter of 'HeforShe' because it presents all of us with a practical opportunity to do something and enables us to pick something achievable so that it will not get put in the 'too difficult' pile. I have decided to focus my pledge on two areas that affect the talent we get in and retain within our great industry; at entry level and at future executive development.

 "I will mentor two individuals, who have either come from a background under-represented in our sector, or is a mother who is returning to work, as getting both these areas right is critical.”

 Huw Evans’ pledge: Use my role at the heart of the industry to continue the ABI’s commitment to provide programmes for young talent and future leaders that support and drive forward diversity. I also commit to personally mentor two women from these programmes, focusing on women who have either returned to work following maternity leave or who are from a background under-represented in insurance. 

 I hope by mentoring I can encourage them, give them some tips and help them with resilience when things are difficult. But I am also looking forward to learning from them, to broadening my own middle-aged male horizons and to get more clues as to what else we can do. None of us can conquer the world’s problems single-handed. But we can all do something. And that’s why I am making my pledge today.